Overview
- The full trailer drew huge attention online, with Variety reporting 132 million views in the first 24 hours and a flood of jokes about Dwayne Johnson’s curly wig as Maui.
- Production sources say the film will not undergo a redesign despite the backlash, and the cut is still not picture-locked with coloring and visual effects in progress.
- Dwayne Johnson says the hair choice keeps faith with the animated character, noting the team tested digital options before choosing a practical wig for authenticity.
- The transformation relied on extensive practical work, including a 40-pound prosthetic bodysuit and a seven-pound wig, and Johnson spent about two and a half hours in the makeup chair each day.
- A recent precedent shows reversals can happen, as Sonic the Hedgehog’s design was changed after protests in 2019, yet reporting indicates no comparable pivot is planned for Moana’s July 10 theatrical release.